An internal combustion engine, such as a diesel or gasoline engine, includes a cylinder block defining a plurality of cylinder bores. Pistons reciprocate within the cylinder bores to generate mechanical power. Typically, each cylinder bore includes a replaceable cylinder liner. The cylinder liner includes a cylindrical body that fits within the cylinder bore. The cylinder liner may also include a radial flange at a top end of the body that supports the cylinder liner on the engine block.
High stresses are induced in the cylinder liner during installation of the cylinder liner in the engine block and during operation of the engine. These stresses may be especially high near the flange that supports the cylinder liner on the engine block. Because of these high stresses, regions of the cylinder liner proximate the flange are prone to fatigue failure. Therefore, various strengthening operations may be performed on the cylinder liner to increase its strength in this critical region.
One exemplary operation used to increase the strength of the cylinder liner is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,699 to Wakade et al. that issued May 11, 2004 (the '699 patent). Specifically, the '699 patent discloses a cast iron cylinder liner with a radial upper flange having an arcuate fillet formed at the junction between the flange and an exterior surface of the cylinder liner. In the cylinder liner of the '699 patent, a portion of the material adjacent the arcuate fillet is laser hardened to increase the fatigue resistance of the material in this region.
Although using laser hardening in this region may increase the fatigue life of the cylinder liner, this approach may be less than optimal. For instance, implementation of laser hardening may increase the cost of the cylinder liner. Additionally, in some applications, a potential failure initiation site of the cylinder liner may not be easily accessible for laser hardening.
The cylinder liner of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems in the art.